


The Prince and the Pirate

by DuskyDancing



Category: Kingdom Hearts (Video Games)
Genre: Adventure, Alternate Universe - Pirate, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, First Kiss, Fluff, Kidnapping, Low Magic AU, Major Character Injury, Mutual Pining, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Paopu Fruit (Kingdom Hearts), Pining, Rating won't change, Role Reversal(ish), Romance, Slow Burn, SoKai Week 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-05
Updated: 2020-07-11
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:34:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 16,689
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24853921
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DuskyDancing/pseuds/DuskyDancing
Summary: Sora finds himself far away from the walls of the Radiant Garden he's known his whole life, kidnapped by a rowdy group of pirates whose captain is as alluring as she is mysterious. What he thought was a simple hostage negotiation turns into an adventure that Sora couldn't have anticipated. He doesn't know which is worse, not knowing what's up ahead, or liking it that way.
Relationships: Kairi/Sora (Kingdom Hearts)
Comments: 28
Kudos: 25
Collections: SoKai Week 2020





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Happy SoKai Week 2020! For my contribution this year, instead of making seven one-shots, I made one longer seven-chapter fic, which I'll be posting one chapter for each day. I hope you enjoy, and please show love and support to the other artists, writers, and editors who are participating in SoKai Week :)

Sora woke with a startle, though he wasn't quite comfortable describing it as 'waking up' when he knew he hadn't been sleeping.

He'd just been minding his own business, walking along the high sea-facing walls of Radiant Garden's castle, when a group of thieves had ambushed him out of nowhere. Normally he could defend himself with no problem, but there had been so many of them in the blink of an eye. The far walls of Radiant Garden were supposed to be safe, being one of the only places Ansem the Wise, his father, had allowed him to wander alone.

He could say goodbye to his freedom now. After this, he'd never be let outdoors alone again.

His head was pounding, and he recalled the toxic scent they'd shoved in his face before he fell asleep. With his eyes still closed, he grumbled in pain. The shuffling next to him told him he wasn't alone.

"He's awake," a man's voice called.

"Finally," a woman was present as well, "I was beginning to worry you'd gone too hard on him, Biggs."

 _Biggs_. What a strange name.

"Captain's orders. No harm was to come to him."

_Captain? Captain of what?_

Sora cracked one eye open and found the two figures watching him from a few feet away.

"Mornin, sleepyhead," the thin brunette said.

As Sora lugged himself up, he realized his chest and arms had been bound to something hard and sturdy. Panic set in, and groggy shifting turned into frantic spasms against his restraints.

"Oop, you might wanna take it slow," she added. "The poison I made turned out a bit stronger than I intended."

"Where am I?" Sora asked. "Who are you?"

He was able to partially answer his second question when he took in their attire. Their non-luxurious clothes fitted them comfortably, but it was clear that they weren't able to freshen up regularly. The lack of any uniform told him they weren't from the navy. The man, Biggs, wore a loose tunic while the woman donned a corset, and both of their belts brandished long narrow swords.

A light above his head swayed back and forth, and Sora couldn't help but feel like he was being gently rocked. That, along with the wooden post he was tied to further confirmed it. They were on a ship.

They'd mentioned a captain too, so...

"You guys are pirates!"

"Smart boy," Biggs patted his cheek. 'You're catching on fast. This here's Jessie, and you probably caught my name already." He leaned in and whispered, "It's Biggs if you didn't."

"As for where you are, well, I'll let the captain give the honors," Jessie winked before prancing up the stairs in front of him.

The light outside the door was blinding, but Sora could barely register anything else as his mind wandered.

"Pirates," he said, "I've been kidnapped by… pirates!" He couldn't help the excitement from bubbling through.

Biggs raised an eyebrow and chuckled. "Not the usual response we get, but I'll take it."

Sora's eyes readjusted to the darkness, and he took in the chamber around him with the scarce lighting it offered. It seemed to be nothing more than a cargo hold, with ropes and fasteners securing boxes and barrels to the walls. The entire interior, even the post he'd been tied to, was made of wood. With another heavy sway of the ship, he was grateful that he hadn't gotten seasick. By the feel of it, this was no small vessel either.

"Wait," Sora said as a pit formed in his stomach, "aren't you worried about the monsters in the ocean?"

"Nah," Biggs leaned back.

His nonchalant answer didn't help. Sora remembered clearly the tales he'd heard growing up. He'd seen half of his kingdom's ships return from sea with horror stories. The danger of the ocean was half the reason his father kept him hidden way from the rest of the world.

He didn't get much time to take in his surroundings when the single door leading to the deck opened again. He flinched readily at the blinding sunlight as Jessie made her way down and stepped to the side.

"Introducing our fearless leader…" she gestured to the stairs.

The sound of sharp boots clicking on wood hit him first, along with the familiar scent of ocean air. Sora peeked his eyes open slowly just as two slender legs made their way down the stairs. The young woman who emerged from the sun's glow was about the last image he'd pictured of a pirate captain. Her height was not significant, but her tall knee-high boots, along with the dress that cinched high on her waist and rippled down around her mid-thigh, feigned more length onto her frame. Her posture and stride enhanced her stature as well. The lace up the front of her dress carried her straight, and her long puffed-out sleeves swayed gracefully with each step.

She was a splash of color in the dull room. While the rest of the pirates present wore black, red, or earthy colors, she carried white and light pink with confidence. The icing on top, an accentuated hat with a feather, gave her even more height and presence than she'd already commanded.

Once her boots hit the bottom stair, she removed her hat to reveal the soft red veil that was her hair. As she knelt down and met him with vibrant purple irises, Sora came face to face with possibly the most beautiful creature he'd ever seen. There was still the issue of her _kidnapping_ him, but regardless he found himself drawn into her silent siren call.

"Hello, Sora," she spoke, and his mind wouldn't soon forget the way her voice uttered his name. "You can call me Kairi. We have much to discuss."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sokai Week is finally here! I've been working on this story for a couple of months in anticipation, so I hope you all enjoy it! I'll be posting a chapter everyday of the week, so this is only the beginning!


	2. Chapter 2

"Kairi…"

He involuntarily breathed her name, and a playful smile grew across her face.

"That's my name," she nodded.

Despite the authority she obviously possessed, she remained kneeling at his eye-level. A show of acquaintance and equality. If she wasn't trying to intimidate him, then what could she possibly be after? Maybe she didn't want anything malicious from him, and this was nothing more than a hostage-for-money negotiation.

Or maybe it was all intentional. Nothing more than a trick, a warm and smiling cover to weaken his defenses.

"Who are you all?" he asked. "What do you want? Why me?"

"All questions I will answer in due time," she said. "What do you say we move this conversation somewhere more comfortable?"

"What, you have a cushier prison cell?"

She laughed, "Do you want to remain a prisoner?" Before he could respond, she turned to her two subordinates. "Take him to my quarters."

They both turned in surprise. "But captain-"

"It'll be fine," she nodded.

It wasn't until they hoisted him up, hands still tied behind his back, that she herself stood and led the march up the stairs. Her graceful steps didn't cause a stir from the worn wooden steps, but they creaked endlessly under every other boot.

"Don't try anything funny," Jessie mumbled in his ear.

Biggs laughed. "Where's he gonna go anyways? Swim all the way back?"

Clear blue skies soon greeted them, and the ocean air hit him in full force, not that the sensation was unwelcome.

Though Sora knew what a pirate ship was supposed to look like from stories, the true scale of a pirate ship surprised him. He craned his neck in order to see the sails, and even then he couldn't find the top of the mast from his position. The creaking and groaning of the ship were drowned out by the crew's work on the deck and the wind flapping the white sails.

All active work within Sora's eyesight, however, ceased once he emerged from his makeshift prison cell. He felt their eyes on him. Eyes of strangers, possibly more of his assailants. The bright sunlight kept him from taking in too many of their details, but he made out another woman and a few other men of varying sizes.

Sora must have been standing frozen for too long, because Biggs pushed him along. To the back of the ship they walked, where large wooden double doors stood decorated with plain glass. The Captain's quarters, where Kairi wanted to talk. Alone.

More questions clouded his mind as she pulled open both doors and disappeared into the room. It was comparatively dark inside, much easier on the eyes than the raw sunlight he'd just endured.

The room resembled less of a captain's living quarters than a decorative dining room. A single large table stood in the very center, enough to seat a dozen people. Various shelves, plants, and decorations filled the room comfortably, but Sora found himself too distracted to notice their details. The woman who'd ordered his kidnapping stood opposite of him, framed by a large glass window that put the entire ocean on display for him.

Again, she never held herself too high or with too much authority. Everything about her welcoming posture seemed intentional yet natural.

Biggs secured Sora in the chair across from her and left. Not a moment after her door closed did he begin unleashing his thoughts.

"What do you want? Why me? Is it money? Resources? Do you have any idea who you're messing with?"

Kairi held her hand up calmly. If his bombardment of questions annoyed her, she didn't show. Her dress pooled around her hips as she slowly took her seat opposite of him.

"Money is of no interest to me. I chose you, Sora, because you're the only one who can help me. Help us." She gestured around her whole ship.

"How?" he asked.

"I know who you are, Sora," she smiled. "You're the _key_ to our success."

Her subtle emphasis on the word 'key' sent a shiver up his spine. It'd been years since he'd publicly called upon his abilities. His father had done well to keep them a secret from the outside world, but it was inevitable that someone, either the dark forces that plagued the seas or a hiring mercenary group, would find him eventually. The woman before him seemed to occupy the later group, though her methods were a bit more forceful than that of a simple business negotiation. On the off chance she belonged to the former motive, however, he instinctively scooted back. His hand twitched within his restraints.

"Don't be afraid." She said, and he was inclined to believe her despite his earlier instincts. "Our goal is for the good of everyone who lives on the ocean. You must understand that some missions don't allow the luxury of _asking_ for help."

"What's this goal?" He thought back to rumors he'd heard within the kingdom. "Is this about the monsters in the ocean?"

She hummed, placing a finger over her lips. "I'll tell you more when we arrive at our destination, I promise."

Sora relaxed a bit in his chair, taking his eyes off of the woman before him to examine her quarters. Like the rest of the ship, the room had been carved entirely from wood, though its polish was much finer than his previous holding place. Naturally, the large window framed so intricately behind her drew his attention first. Scattered among the many shelves were various trinkets: a jewelry box, carved or sculpted animal figurines, atleast half-a-dozen plants he didn't recognize, nothing violent or overly extravagant. A small desk facing the window held an open ink well and dozens of papers secured under a large seashell weight. A discreet door off to the side likely led to her bed chamber.

The way natural light reflected off of the crystal chandelier above them made the chamber appear much brighter. It was...welcoming.

"So if I'm joining you on this secret mission, do I get a cool pirate code name? Or a pirate hat?"

He turned back to her, only to find her patience waning.

"This is serious, Sora," her eyes narrowed. "If you're to treat this like a fairytale, then it is clear you're not ready to know what we're after."

"I won't have to know," he said, "because the navy will find me first. They've got the fastest ships, you know."

Impatience gave way to a playful smirk as she leaned forward and rested her chin on her fingers. "Your naive overconfidence precedes you, Sora, but I wouldn't worry about them," she winked. "We've got a couple of tricks up our sleeves."

Sora sensed the pleasant tone leaving their conversation. "Don't hurt anyone," he pleaded. "We haven't done anything wrong to you."

"Relax, Sora. Our tricks are evasive, not confrontational. We won't hurt anyone who doesn't get in our way."

"And if I get in your way?" He smirked.

A soft playful smile pulled at her lips. "You _are_ our way, Sora. None of this can be done without you."

Sora avoided her gaze. He was inclined to believe her again, though he didn't have much of a choice.

"What about after? When I've helped you with whatever this quest is."

"Well, we can return you safely to your castle be long gone before anyone notices. But I sense we won't be doing that, Sora."

"Why not?"

"Because I think you're not satisfied as being a trophy for your king, playing a hero prince but with nothing heroic to fight for." She leaned forward intently. "I understand, because I too have a gift."

Sora straightened, his heart stuttering. "You mean-" he looked to her hands, picturing her wielding a magical sword herself. It would explain why she hadn't carried one on her hip like the rest of her crew. "I thought I was the only one."

She shook her head and laughed, "You are one of a kind, Sora, that much is true. While your gift is more combative, mine is more…" she glanced to the side in thought, "elemental in nature."

Sora remained still, taking her and her words in. Even if their magic was the same, to meet another with an unnatural gift felt like the weight of the world had been lifted from his shoulders. Perhaps that was why he'd been drawn to her from the start, how she'd found him in the first place. Had she been like him, kept within the confines of some kingdom or government, or used as a show of power?

He relaxed in his seat before meeting her gaze again. She watched him, waiting for an answer or a reaction.

"Well," he said, "you can't just drop that bomb on me without atleast showing me."

Her smile brightened. "I was beginning to fear you'd never ask." She then rose from her seat, made her way to the door, and gestured outside. "You'll see soon enough."

At her command, Biggs stepped through the doorway and lifted Sora to his feet.

"Is this really still necessary?" Sora asked. He looked towards Kairi, sure that she'd order his hands freed, but she'd already made her way to the deck.

"For now, it is," the man said as he led him along.

On the upper layer of the deck where the helmsman was positioned, The full size of the ship revealed itself. About half-a-dozen crew members, both men and women, worked away all around the deck. Sora's eyes followed the central mast to the crow's nest, where another man focussed through a looking glass out to sea.

"Are we all set, helmsman Wedge?" Kairi asked, though it was more of an affirmation than a question.

"Aye, Captain," the man nodded.

Just on cue, the man in the crow's nest shouted, "Captain! Kingdom ships in sight!"

She quickly shot Sora a knowing glance. "I guess you weren't bluffing about your navy." Her playful smile and wonder-filled eyes held no hint of fear or worry. "What say you to a little demonstration?"

Every crew member around them jumped, and they soon filled the air with excited cheers. Biggs patted Sora's back and said, "This never gets old."

Kairi made her way to the railing that separated the two levels of the deck. Meanwhile, several crew members began loosening the lines to close the sails.

"Wait," Sora said. "I don't know anything about sailing, but aren't you supposed to, you know," he gestured wide with his hands, "expand the sails to move quickly."

Jessie joined his other side. "Aye," she said and held up a finger, " _if_ you're using the wind to move."

Sora raised an eyebrow. "But what else would you-"

His voice caught in his throat when a sudden swell in the gentle waves rocked the ship with more force than usual. After catching his balance, his attention turned back to Kairi.

She stood tall with her hands outstretched to either side, palms facing up. Her eyes remained closed, but the rest of her face expressed pure bliss. The waves seemed to follow the direction of her hands, and Sora thought he'd begun to understand her gift.

_Mine is more...elemental in nature,_

When the ocean felt calm and steady, she slowly brought her palms forward. Sora was too mesmerized to notice the rest of the crew bracing against whatever they could hold onto.

In one fluid motion, not unlike the very waves she commanded, she thrust her arms behind her, and Sora went flying onto his back.

The sudden speed of the ship would've sent Sora back into the captain's quarters if it weren't for Biggs and Jessie stopping him. The embarrassment tempted him to stay hidden and red-faced, but his newfound fascination with the captain won out. He stood to look over the side, and sure enough the navy ship pursuing them was now a shrinking form on the horizon.

Kairi was focussed, though he swore she shot him a side-eye smirk. Jessie stepped in his way and broke the trance.

"Okay, newbie, enough staring. Let's put you to work?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! We've reached day 2 of SoKai Week, and I hope you're enjoying it so far.
> 
> Kairi's design, magic, and motivation were inspired from a number characters, including Avantika from _Critical Role_ , Captain Amelia from _Treasure Planet_ , and the historical Irish figure Gráinne Ní Mháille (Grace O'Malley), 'The Pirate Queen'.


	3. Chapter 3

Over the next few weeks, Sora found himself beginning to feel a surprising kinship with the crew.

He met the remaining three crew members, Tidus, Wakka and Selphie, who acted as the ship's lookout, navigator, and boatswain respectively. With no land or help in sight, Sora was stuck with acting the part, so he swabbed the deck, scrubbed their dishes, and entertained their banter.

Little by little, each of them let him into their circle. Biggs let him judge his fencing matches with the other crew members. Wedge let him steer the ship once, which fulfilled some juvenile wish deep within Sora. He learned Jessie's name for each of the canons. Wakka taught him rope-tying techniques. Tidus even allowed him up into the crow's nest, though Sora couldn't stay up for long without getting vertigo. Selphie did a bit of everything aboard the ship, though cooking and keeping most of the men in order seemed to be her muse.

Then there was Kairi.

Just like her appearance, her leadership differed greatly from how pirate captains were _supposed_ to act. Instead of ruling strictly with a sharp blade and even sharper tongue, she commanded the crew with respect and trusted them to carry themselves.

Bigg's lack of concern about sea monsters made sense, for none ever came to attack the ship. If Sora hadn't heard the first-hand witness of their danger, he would've doubted they existed at all. Maybe Kairi's magic went even further.

Sora was stuck with scrubbing the deck again when Tidus's voice boomed over the deck.

"Captain! Ship ahead!"

Sora's head snapped to attention. Could the navy have found him again already?

Soon after, Kairi's small form emerged from her quarters, strode across the deck without paying Sora any mind, and fixed her focus on the horizon through a spyglass.

"Aye, merchant ship!" She shouted, and Sora's shoulders fell.

Tidus called out again. "Captain, their colors-"

"I see who they are," she spat with a venom that even Sora hadn't received before. "Hoist our own, Tidus. We owe them a visit."

In one swift motion, she snapped her spyglass closed, spun around, and sped to the upper deck.

Sora's gut tensed. He'd never witnessed such a malevolent side to her before, and he couldn't help but feel they wouldn't just be "visiting" this merchant ship.

She _was_ a pirate, having survived for so long on the seas with a loyal crew, for a reason. He'd denied the reality thus far, but as a pirate, maybe even Kairi wasn't above pillaging and looting.

Sora dropped the mop and marched up to where she was on the upper deck. Her stance told him she was already preparing to use her magic to catch up to them. He grasped her wrist to stop her from finishing. Her eyes snapped to him, losing none of their fire.

"I thought you were above this," he said, mustering all of his conviction to not waver under her gaze.

She chuckled and, with surprising ease, freed her arm from his grasp. "This isn't a children's bedtime story, Sora." Her attention didn't stay on him for long, more focussed on the distant sails. "Some things are necessary."

Sora's heart sank with betrayal. Sure, she'd kidnapped him, but he'd thought they were different from the pirates he'd read about - greedy and blood-thirsty. He felt foolish, placing his trust in Kairi so quickly, believing she had good intentions behind her actions. If she was willing to attack an innocent merchant ship for supplies, then what else would she be willing to do?

The conventional flag was lowered and replaced with a flag Sora hadn't seen before. Dark blue covered most of it, with a white sea serpent elegantly twisting throughout the frame. When the wind caught the flag, it appeared as if the creature were flying through the air with its mouth open towards its destination.

Sora recognized depictions of the Leviathan in his studies, but he'd never seen such an illustration before.

The thought of pirates appropriating the image of the sea goddess for their own work only made his gut sink even further. With Kairi's magic, they caught up to the ship in no time, close enough to notice they had no canons.

He pulled Kairi back again by the arm, disrupting her magic and slowing the ship down. "Stop! They're unarmed!"

The rest of the crew reacted quickly, drawing their swords and directing them at him.

Her amusement fell, replaced with frustration. Much like her stature, her expression wasn't intimidating by nature, but the way she held herself made him want to be anywhere but on the receiving end.

"To the brig with you, then, if you're going to get in the way."

Next Sora knew, several hands pushed him to the ground, holding his wrists behind his back and his legs flat on the ground.

"Hey!" He managed to shout, but when he lifted his head, she was already walking down the steps to the lower deck.

The weight on his heart felt heavier than the three bodies on top of him. After spending all this time with them, why would they suddenly change so much?

They hauled him back to the cargo hold, where he'd first awoken aboard the ship. He offered little resistance, acting as more dead weight than anything. Even as they tied him back up to the post, he could barely lift his head to look them in the eye.

"Sorry, Sora," Biggs sighed. "There's no time to explain. You just have to trust us, okay?"

He couldn't. How could they expect him to? The despair in his heart reignited into anger as they tightened the ropes.

"Trust you?!" He faced his captors, the familiar faces of Biggs, Wedge, and Jessie. Their expressions all contained different levels of amusement and hesitation. What about this could possibly be entertaining? "You're all pirates. I could never trust you!"

The only face that changed was Wedge's. A frown pulled hard at the corners of his mouth, and his grip on Sora's arm wavered ever-so slightly. Jessie noticed his change too, and offered him a comforting touch on the shoulder.

Wedge nodded to her, and she turned back to Sora, her gaze much less light-hearted now. "Just...sit tight a minute, okay?"

"But-"

"I know!" she interrupted. "Evil pirates, yada yada yada. Don't feel too down, yea?"

For a moment, they all stood in silence before him, as if waiting for him to say something more. If that was what they wanted, he didn't satisfy them. His head turned away, as far as his restraints would let him, and let the heavy silence hang over them.

Finally, they left in a rush back up the stairs. Soon after the door above closed, the fresh sea air waned, replaced by the musty smell of old wet wood.

The room had no light this time, leaving him along with the rocking of the ship and the creaking of wood all around him. The ship swayed heavier than usual with the waves moving unnaturally beneath it. The shouting and footsteps above grew more distant.

As Sora's eyes adjusted to the darkness, he realized that, for the first time on the ship, he was alone. They hadn't bothered to restrain him painfully tightly or knock him unconscious.

For the first time, he had a chance to escape.

Sora took a deep breath and wiggled his hands underneath the rope. If he positioned himself just right, he could get it in one swing.

He closed his eyes and focussed. He felt himself fall deeper into his own consciousness to call upon the light that slept within him. With each inhale it swelled and grew, and with each exhale it released itself into his body, out of his chest, over his shoulder, down his arm, and into his palm.

His hand opened on reflex, and the light flashed out of it to form the long silver blade he'd always known.

Immediately, the ropes around him fell slack as the magic cut through them, and his wrists felt relieved to breathe again.

He stood, and the dark, stale room lit aglow with the golden light that shone from his blade. It had been so long since he'd summoned it, and Sora missed the peace that washed over his heart whenever he held it.

From first glance, one would never think his gift to be a weapon at all, with its bulky form and blunt key-shaped blade. Its name fit it justly, however.

 _The Keyblade_.

He turned his gaze to the door. There was no time to waste if he was to save the merchant ship and escape.

The door didn't budge. Locked. But the setback only caused a giddy smile to form on Sora's face. He stepped back and pointed the tip of his key to the door.

"Finally, something useful," he muttered.

On a concentrated exhale, a narrow, precise beam of light burst from the blade and into the door. Though this side had no keyhole, the lock clicked and the door swung open. With the smile still painted across his face, Sora eagerly took one step closer to freedom.

It must have taken him longer than he'd thought to break out of his bindings, because the ship was completely empty. Clanging metal, shouts, and cries for help from the side caught his attention. They'd already boarded the merchant ship and begun to seize it.

The space between the two ships was large, but not uncrossable if he jumped far enough. Sora took a few readied steps backward and released his Keyblade. Filled with nervous anticipation, he spent a few too many beats just bouncing on the balls of his feet.

Just as he readied himself to run forward and leap across, however, a grappling hook struck the mast above him. Biggs swung across and landed directly in Sora's path. He didn't come empty-handed, but instead of carrying across cargo or coin, he held a child firmly but carefully in his grasp.

Biggs stood up straight and regarded Sora with a smirk. "Well, that was a quick escape. Glad you decided to join us."

The confusion and anger from before flared up again within Sora. "I'm not-!"

"Say, kid," Biggs ignored Sora completely and placed the kid down, "why don't you hang with our friend, Sora, while we get the rest of your friends, huh?" The man glanced at Sora with a look that said 'don't say no'.

The child's small hands clung to Bigg's shirt as he tried to set him down. He was a boy, maybe no older than six, and his eyes squinted like he hadn't seen the sun in weeks. Biggs gently pried his clothes free and gave the boy a reassuring pat.

"Don't worry, he'll protect you."

"What's going on?" Sora asked, but before he could get an answer, the boy ran to him and hid near his legs. With Sora's baggy pants, the boy was practically invisible behind them.

Biggs chuckled and pulled his grappling hook free with a whip of the rope. "Captain will explain everything, but we're the good guys here."

The man was off without another word, leaving Sora alone with the trembling child hiding behind his legs. He knelt down and straightened out the boy's ragged clothing, wiping the tears and snot from his face.

"What's your name?" Sora asked.

The boy sniffled. "Gula"

"Well, Gula, have you ever seen a magical sword before?"

The boy's eyes grew wide, the fear within them replaced with curiosity. Sora smiled and summoned his Keyblade again. He hadn't used it in so long, but doing so for the second time that day felt much more natural.

A bright smile grew across the boy's face. Wonder filled his eyes, like whatever had been troubling him moments ago didn't even matter anymore. He reached a small arm out for it, but pulled back at the last second.

"It's okay. You're my friend, so you can touch it without getting hurt." Sora held it forward.

"Friend…" The boy repeated before he accepted the invitation, first with a poke on the golden handle, then with fingers running down the blade and over the crown-shaped teeth of the key.

Warmth filled Sora's chest at the sight. His heart knew that this, even the smallest comfort, was what his gift was supposed to be used for, but he'd never been given the chance to his whole life.

An explosion on the other ship strong enough to rock the boat made him stumble and snap back to attention. He stood, and the boy returned to a fearful state as he sought cover behind Sora.

Jessie had made a dramatic escape from beneath the ship with not one, but two children in her arms. Both young girls around the same age as Gula. She readied her grappling hook, and Sora released his Keyblade again and rushed to the railing to catch them.

Sora caught her as she clumsily landed. The girls were uninjured, though they still clung to their rescuer for life.

Jessie stood and eyed him. "Hey, didn't we…? Oh nevermind."

"Will _you_ tell me what's going on here?" Sora asked.

"Nope!" she rubbed his head. "Still alota work to do. Keep these girls safe, aye?"

"Aye," Sora grumbled, though one look in the girls' eyes told him that he had the most important job. What would merchants need to transport children for?

The girls looked past Sora and immediately ran to Gula. All three kids embraced as if they were long lost friends.

Everything happened so quickly after that. More children were brought over until they numbered nine in total. There was no hiding behind Sora anymore as they huddled with each other.

Finally, the sounds of combat died down, and the only faces that emerged were familiar ones. Biggs laid down a wooden plank, and they all returned.

Kairi emerged from the ship's quarters last, carrying a small toddler in her arms. As she crossed the plank, the crew parted to make way for her, directly towards Sora. She was busy coddling and comforting the child in her arms, so she paid Sora no mind until she stopped in front of him.

The eyes that met him looked like they wanted to say, _I told you so_ , but instead she glanced at the kids huddled behind him and smiled.

"You'll notice, Sora, that I never used my canons on that ship." She bounced the toddler in her arms. "This is why. Those weren't merchants, they were smugglers _posing_ as merchants. We only knew because we've encountered them before."

Sora knew he should've still been angry. All she had to do was communicate, to say what her plan was, but she'd conveniently developed an unspoken language with her crew and left him in the dark. Even so, the almost motherly look of relief and satisfaction in her eyes made it difficult to cling to that anger. Everything she did was beginning to make sense. Perhaps he was the fool for believing that, after weeks of being compassionate, she'd betray that character.

She hadn't so much as stolen a single piece of cargo from the other ship.

A gentle tug at his pant leg pulled his attention down, where several of the kids now gathered behind him.

Kairi giggled. "You're good with kids, I see."

Sora couldn't understand why. Growing up sheltered within the castle, he'd never even had little siblings to look after.

Suddenly, he found the small toddler being placed into his hands. "Think you can look after them for a while?"

She was letting him decide again what his role would be. Maybe she genuinely cared, or maybe it was another test for him. Regardless, he couldn't say no.

He nodded. "They're probably starving. I'll take care of them."

The uptick in her smile told him he'd passed, and the soft sparkle that crossed her eye was his reward.

"There is enough food in the captain's quarters for them all," she nodded to her doors. "You can sit them around the table."

By the time Kairi returned, all were full and tired, though still wary of everything and everyone around them, including Sora.

She leaned into Sora and whispered, "We learned where they were taken from. We'll need to go off course to return them home first."

"Ironic for you to return kidnapping victims," Sora responded, then realized that all eyes were on them.

Gula shuffled forward and asked, "What's gonna happen to us?"

Kairi knelt down to meet him and smiled. "We're taking you all home!"

All of their little eyes, even the most tired ones, lit up with excitement. She was so approachable, especially to children.

"Think you guys can sit tight on a ship for a few more days?" Kairi asked.

Some of their faces fell again. They were tired of being at sea and just wanted to go home like any other kid. Sora related to that primal need to return to comfort and familiarity. But the more he thought of it, the less he wanted to return to how things were. Maybe his predicament wasn't ideal, but Kairi was right when she'd guessed that he wanted more from life.

While he reflected, Kairi had opened the door to her bedchamber and sat on the edge of her bed. Hesitantly, Sora followed.

"Gather around," she gestured all around herself, "maybe a little story will help you sleep."

The eyes of the younger ones immediately widened again, while the older ones tried a bit harder to mask their excitement. Sora took that as his cue and turned to leave.

"You stay too, Sora. You'll want to hear this one," she winked. Turning the focus of her attention back to her audience, she began in a much softer voice. "How many of you have heard of the Leviathan?"

A few hesitant hands raised themselves halfway, while the rest merely exchanged wandering glances. Of course Sora knew, so he confidently shot his hand into the air. Suddenly, all eyes were on him, and Kairi giggled.

"I see many of you don't know the goddess of the sea. Legend tells of a majestic sea serpent nearly as long as the sea herself, atleast she appeared so to the men who encountered her."

"Like a monster?" a little girl asked, cowering behind her knees.

"Not at all. Though enormous, she nurtured all life in the sea like a mother would. She protected her children and fostered their growth. She was beautiful too, with scales that shimmered a deep ethereal blue and graceful fins that danced endlessly in the waves."

"What happened to her?" a boy asked. "Why don't we see or hear of her?"

"Uh-uh," Kairi wagged a finger, "don't get too far ahead now," she smiled. "Leviathan wasn't alone in her power over the sea. There soon grew another creature of sizable strength, the Kraken!" Her voice, as well as her gestures, grew more exaggerated. "How many of you have heard of _him_?"

This time, each hand in the room shot into the air, including Sora's. No child was a stranger to the frightening tales of the Kraken told by their parents to steer them from the waterfront.

Kairi allowed a moment for the kids to settle down before continuing. "You see, where the Leviathan was good and nurturing and filled with light, the Kraken was filled with darkness, envy, and hunger. He wanted her power all for himself, but he knew he couldn't win against her head-on. Instead, one day he attacked and corrupted her children of the sea, and she was quick to come to their defense. Because her focus was on keeping the ocean safe and not herself, the Kraken was able to overpower her."

Every kid in the room now leaned forward intently. Sora himself had become completely enraptured, not only in the story, but in how she told it. From her voice, to her movements, to her expressions, he would have listened to her tell stories for hours.

One of the older kids finally spoke, "He...he killed her?"

Kairi's gentle expression never left. "I would not have told you a story if it didn't have a glimmer of hope at the end," she smiled. "You see, Leviathan cannot be killed. Instead, the Kraken sealed her heart and light away, in hopes that it would never be found." She held up a finger. "But, he was unable to contain all of her light. Some say it escaped into the world."

"Where would it go?" many of them asked.

"Well, to another heart for refuge, of course. Leviathan's Blessing, as it's called, is gifted by her to one heart in each generation. In doing so, she grants them an innate love of the sea and incredible powers to harness it as their own. Though it is a fraction of her power, she is still able to watch over the sea through this heart."

Her gaze found Sora for a brief moment, and he understood. Her adventuring spirit, her magical gift, her nurturing nature, had all been a result of this 'light'. Though those traits were such a deep part of who she was, he refused to believe she wouldn't be all of those things without her gift.

"So you see, wee little ones, no matter how bad things may seem, there will always be a sliver of hope left."

The kids now were all completely scrunched up beside her feet, all trying to get as close as possible. One of them yawned, which caused a chain reaction throughout the small young audience.

As Kairi wrapped up the story, Sora couldn't get his mind off of the revelation. He'd always been told Leviathan abandoned the mortal world long ago, never to return, and if sailors asked her, she might grant them protection from the monsters at sea. He never considered the possibility that her forced absence was the reason for the growing danger.

Next he knew, the kids were shuffling out to their own beds. Kairi waited expectantly by the door for him to follow. As he passed her, he turned around.

"You know, that's not the story I know," he smiled, "but I like yours better."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! I know the chapter lengths are going up, but I promise it won't get longer than this haha.
> 
> Happy Day 3 of SoKai Week! I always headcanon that Sora and Kairi would be great with kids, and that Kairi would inherit her grandmother's love of storytelling. I hope you all are enjoying the story so far!


	4. Chapter 4

Sora was used to having his sleep interrupted by sudden turbulence, but something about the jolt that woke him that night felt different, more forceful. The cold water suddenly dripping on his face made going back to sleep right away more difficult.

Another blow, followed by shouts from the deck above, sent him onto his feet. He hadn't been the only one either, as the rest of the crew members shared his expression of worry and confusion.

On the deck, the first thing that greeted him was the heavy rain. Within seconds, all of his clothes became soaked straight through, but another sight soon took his full attention: a giant tentacle splayed across the deck, alive and thrashing wildly.

"Captain, what's happening?" Biggs shouted.

"I don't know, monsters have never attacked my ship!" Her voice came through, bringing him some strange sense of relief. He tore his eyes from their intruder to find her clinging to the shrouds on the other side of the deck, dodging and stabbing at another tentacle. "Don't just stand there," she shouted, "grab a sword and free your ship!"

Sora didn't have to be told twice. Weeks ago, he'd thought he'd be fighting to free himself, not help the ones who'd kidnapped him, but now he didn't have a choice. Summoning his Keyblade for the second time on the ship, he finally put his skills to use against the nearest appendage. It was large, covered in slime, and filled with muscle, but not impossible to fight. It nearly took all of his agility to dodge its swipes, but with enough hits it eventually retreated.

Sora breathed a sigh of relief, until two more took its place.

As he prevented another from damaging the ship further, he was both curious and terrified to see the creature they belonged to.

Soon, his back hit another's, and a giant feather dangled in his face. He blew it away and turned to find Kairi back to back with him.

"Putting that gift of yours to use, I see," she shouted over the rain.

"Feels good to actually use it. Are the kids-?"

"They're safe as long as we're afloat."

The dread weighing on Sora's heart lifted slightly, though staying afloat against a creature like this seemed difficult. "You know what this thing is?"

"I've never seen something this big before!" From her heavy breathing, she'd been fighting just as hard as he had.

With the ship free of two more tentacles, they had a brief window, but as he turned to her, she held nothing but a fierce determination in her eyes.

"Hold on!" she shouted, and he quickly grabbed for the nearest rail, this time knowing what to anticipate.

Her movements now resembled less like a graceful wave and more like a cracking whip. She drew her arms up and thrust them forward, driving the ship out of the monster's grasp. Several crates flew off the deck from the force, and the ship rocked heavily to level with the waves once more.

They were freed for the time being. Jessie, Biggs and Wedge used the opportunity to prepare the cannons, while Tidus, Wakka, and Selphie all worked to fix the masts and sails.

Sora and Kairi could see the monster moving underneath the waves towards them, but instead of grappling the ship once more, it rammed the side of the hull, sending everyone on the deck to the floor. Sora lurched over the edge, thankful he'd still been gripping the railing. Whatever this thing was, it was huge, and it was determined to kill them.

As Sora found his footing once more, a massive form overshadowed the already dark night on the deck. He glanced back, only to come face to face with a monstrous squid rising out of the sea. Its large head lobbed forward, and though he couldn't tell one part of its body from another, he couldn't shake the feeling that it was fixated on him.

"It's...the Kraken," Kairi muttered beside him.

Sora froze, and a deep primal fear overtook him. Sure, he'd fought people and smaller monsters on occasion in his sheltered upbringing, but never something this large. And certainly never from such a vulnerable position.

His eyes grew wide, focussed on nothing but the large beak that gaped hungrily between its appendages. A sudden force struck him from the side and pulled him flat onto the deck. When he blinked back to his senses, Kairi was hovering over him. It wasn't until a large tentacle struck where he last stood that he realized she'd saved his life amidst his stupor.

"-out of it, Sora!" He registered that she was shouting at him and tapping his face. "Gather your courage and fight!"

"Right," he shook his head and was back on his feet in an instant. Resummoning his Keyblade, he fought off his assailant and regarded Kairi once more. "You said you never get attacked. I...I think it's after _me_."

Sora hadn't the slightest idea why the Kraken would be after _him_ , but Kairi didn't seem surprised at all by his suggestion. A light switched on behind her eyes, but she said nothing.

Sora may not know how he was involved in all of this, but Kairi did. And she wasn't telling him.

There was no time for questions and answers, as the Kraken withdrew and circled the ship again.

"It's going to ram the ship again!" Selphie shouted.

"The hull can't take another hit!" Wakka said. "We won't survive this thing."

Kairi's eyes fell, and Sora felt the dejection in her heart. Everyone they'd just rescued, not to mention the rest of the crew, were all at risk. Maybe the ship wouldn't survive another hit, but Sora could take the fight off of the ship. If the Kraken was truly after him, then maybe he could lead it away from everyone else.

Sora took a deep breath and climbed onto the railing, gripping a main line for support.

"What are you doing?!" Kairi shouted, stepping toward him. All eyes turned to him.

"You were right, Kairi, I needed something heroic to fight for. If that thing really is after me, then maybe I can lead it away while you all escape."

"You could die!" Selphie shouted.

Sora glanced down to Kairi and nodded. Frustration and sorrow filled her eyes, but she stayed silent.

"If this is the only truly heroic thing I do in my life, then I'll be satisfied."

Kairi stepped closer, but before she could reach out to stop him, he plunged into the ocean.

The cries and shouts that followed were quickly muffled underneath the thrashing waves. In the distance, a large mass barrelled towards the ship. He didn't have much time. Using his Keyblade, he propelled himself deeper just as the mass passed underneath him. He crashed into the monster with enough momentum to push it off of its course. It let out a fierce cry.

Sora took the opportunity to close in and slice at its appendages. If inexperience threatened him above surface, the drag of water weakened him beneath it as well.

A tentacle quickly wrapped around him and thrashed him around in the water. He could last a long time in the water, but he couldn't stay under forever. Suddenly it stopped, and the massive form faced him in the water. Its head reeled back, to reveal a massive beak that opened before him.

Sora panicked. He released his Keyblade in his free hand before summoning it in his restrained one. The magic sliced right through the flesh, severing the tendril where it held him.

The Kraken cried out in pain again. Sora avoided its limbs on his return to the surface, but his legs were beginning to sting.

He breached the surface and gasped for air. In the dark of night, he couldn't find the ship anywhere in sight. Relief flooded him, along with the heavy dread that he was stuck, alone, in the middle of the ocean with a raging sea monster.

A sudden familiar force pulled him under the surface again. That time, multiple tendrils restrained his entire body. He fought against the constriction with his Keyblade, but even his weapon wasn't strong enough to break through that many. As the Kraken's mouth opened for him once again, Sora pulled and resisted as much as he could. Even if he was above the surface, the pressure around his torso wouldn't have given his lungs enough space to breathe.

Being eaten by a giant sea monster hadn't been how Sora pictured his end. Compared to this, he would've chosen to be kidnapped by pirates in a heartbeat. But atleast he'd gotten to save people in the process.

Atleast he'd gotten to meet someone like Kairi.

Suddenly, the water surrounding him swelled, resisting the pull beneath the surface. There was a flash of red before a pointed sword pierced the Kraken's head.

Immediately, the force restraining him loosened, and Sora would've been able to breathe again if he weren't underwater. He clamoured for the surface, but found his senses dulling as the relief of air seemed to grow further and further away. His arms and legs moved haggardly, if at all. He opened his mouth, but only the remaining air in his lungs escaped as his vision tunnelled.

The last sight his eyes caught in the center of his vision was Kairi's silhouette gracefully dancing her way through the water in his direction.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Day 4 of SoKai Week! The action is really ramping up now. This fight scene was one of the first ones I wrote for this fic, because of course Sora would recklessly sacrifice himself for other people no matter what universe he's in. I'm excited to share tomorrow's piece with you all!


	5. Chapter 5

The first sensation that hit Sora was just how cold he was.

No, it wasn't just cold, he was soaking wet in his clothes, his hair, everything. He tried to breathe in but only found himself choking.

_Breathe._

_I can't breathe!_

Waking in a startle, his lungs forcefully coughed up sea water until air rushed into his lungs.

The lullaby of gently tossing waves almost tempted him to lay back down, but then his memories came flooding back to him. Specifically, his memories of the one who'd saved him from drowning.

"Kairi!"

He pushed himself onto his knees and glanced around. Besides the beach sand, whatever island they'd washed ashore was covered almost entirely in green, from the lush bushes to the tall palm trees.

 _Well, atleast it seems livable_ , he thought to himself.

Then his eyes caught a splash of pink, and he was on his feet not a moment later.

"Kairi!" He shouted over and over as his weakened legs carried him across the beach.

Besides the wind tossing her damp hair, she wasn't moving. His knees crashed into the sand beside her.

She lay on her back, breathing - _thank the gods_ \- but he knew the sight of a broken leg anywhere. His heart ached, like he'd just watched priceless porcelain shatter. She wasn't going to feel great when she woke up, and she wasn't going to like what he'd have to do.

The break was recent enough that there was still time to set it back into place. It wouldn't heal perfectly, but atleast she'd be able to walk normally again.

"Kairi." He lifted her torso and brushed the hair out of her face. "Please, wake up."

His only warning was a gurgling sound in the back of her throat before she began coughing sea water into the sand. Her eyes slowly opened, and for a moment relief washed across her face before it was replaced with a painful wince.

She glanced down by her leg, but he kept her down. "It's broken pretty bad," he said. "Probably best that you don't look before I… I have to…"

She nodded in understanding. "Just give me something to bite."

That part was easy. With the amount of plants and trees just in their vicinity, spare branches and sticks lay just beyond the shore. Sora picked one that was hard enough to do the trick, but soft enough to not damage her teeth. At the same time, he gathered sticks and vines sturdy enough to serve as a temporary splint.

He returned quickly, dusted it off, and silently handed it to her. No words could properly communicate how hard it would be for both of them, but the quicker it was over with, the better.

Kairi bit down on it and rested back on her elbows. Closing her eyes, she nodded in preparation.

Sora knelt by her leg. In any other circumstance the act would've felt much more intimate. Her legs were so smooth yet hardened from her life on the sea. Sora took several deep breaths before gently placing his hands above and below the break.

_Just focus on putting it back in place._

_Don't think about who it is._

Counting down would only make it worse, so he just went for it. After a final inhale, he flexed his hands and moved her bone back into place.

Even when muffled, the blood-curdling scream that followed made Sora shudder. In that moment, he felt like a worse monster than the Kraken that had caused this. Her back arched as she kicked and tore through the sand with her healthy limbs. After securing her leg with his improvised splint, He rushed back up to her upper half and pulled her close.

"The worst is over, Kairi," he tried to remain calm despite his accelerating heartbeat. "I'm so sorry."

She muffled more cries of pain in his chest, and he endured the punches to his torso. The stick finally fell from her teeth as her breathing steadied. Jabs turned into tight grips on his jacket.

"Thanks," she breathed.

Now that he knew she'd be okay, the reality of their proximity hit him. He'd barely done more than shake her hand before, and now she was lying in his arms. Even the chilled ocean breeze couldn't stop his face from warming. Afraid he'd crossed a line, he set her back down to support her own weight once she relaxed.

"I should be thanking you," he said. "You saved me."

She met his eyes for the first time since waking up, though her own were still wide and unfocussed from the pain.

"And you saved my crew," she smiled before turning her gaze away. "Besides, I worked hard to get you. I wasn't about to lose you to some sea monster."

Sora wasn't about to let her sincerity hide away again. "Oh, so you'll just toss me to the sea once we're done?"

She tensed up. "No, of course not! I-" her eyes narrowed once she noticed his smirk. "How mean, to tease a girl when she's down."

"Couldn't help it," he smiled. "Speaking of which, though, what do we do now?"

She sat up further and turned her gaze to the sea. "Now we wait. I told my crew to get the rescued to safety first, then circle back for us. It hopefully shouldn't take more than a few days."

"A few days is pretty fast."

"You're right. Plus, the Leviathan won't be as fast without my magic." She closed her eyes, but the growing anxiety showed itself all over her face. "Let's make it a week."

"Hey, on the bright side, this isn't the _worst_ island to be stuck on," he smiled.

Careful of her leg, she turned around and took in the cliffs, waterfalls, and endless green that stretched all around the beach. The island was small, but not uninhabitable. Under different circumstances, it would've been a paradise. Some relief washed over her, and she relaxed again.

"First thing's first, though," he continued, "we gotta make you a better splint."

One thing neither of them could deny was that the island was beautiful. It transformed as the sun moved through the sky. The tide crept up the beach, but not too far or too violently. Salty air complimented the scent of life-filled trees and shrubbery.

But what caught their eyes the most was a small sub island just off the shore.

During their slow journey up the beach, with Sora practically needing to carry Kairi, they'd spotted food like mushrooms and coconuts - nothing as bright and yellow as the star-shaped fruit that rested on that tiny island. Sora laid her down within some nearby shade and stared out at it.

"I'm sorry," Kairi said after a moment.

He sat beside her. "It's okay, Kairi, but you'll have to get more specific," he cracked a smile in an attempt to lift her spirits.

"For not being entirely honest, from the beginning."

He lay back and laced his hands behind his head. "You were being vague for sure, but anything that pulled me from home was going to be exciting."

Her fingers traced random lines in the sand. "Remember the story from the other night?"

"The Leviathan one? That's the quest you're on, right?"

She nodded. "There's more to it. I'm not the only piece to the puzzle. Although the Kraken is powerful, he's not omnipotent. Remember how I said he had to lock away her heart?"

Sora sat up and regarded her curiously.

"Well, where there is a lock, there is also…"

His heart stopped. She'd paused to let him think, but Sora blurted the answer before he could stop himself.

"A key."

Besides the smile that graced her features, Sora couldn't pay attention to the rest of her explanation. Something about the same light creating a key and bestowing it upon a worthy heart. His mind was racing. It all made perfect sense why she needed him and why the Kraken had attacked him. But why had Kairi been so...forceful?

"You figured it out," her voice drew him back from the pit in his stomach.

"Why didn't you just ask?" he shook his head. "I would've gone with you still, without the kidnapping or anything."

She hummed. "Maybe you would've, but would your kingdom have let you?"

"What about your powers?" he asked. "They come from Leviathan. People would believe you in a heartbeat."

She laughed, "As always, you give people too much credit, Sora." Her gaze drifted out to sea. Though the evening had begun to darken their surroundings, she seemed focussed, possibly on the sound of tossing waves or the smell of the ocean breeze.

"In a world where the ocean is terrifying and monster-infested, what would people think of a girl with water-based magic?"

Her eyes were filled with sadness, and Sora wasn't sure if he wanted to know how many times she'd tried to win people over, only to be feared and tossed out.

"I suppose I've always been believed." His hand extended forward between them, and his Keyblade manifested before her. Her eyes grew wide, and she shuffled closer. "When my Keyblade appeared, my father took it as a sign of strength and heroism, and therefore that our family must be blessed. The irony is, I don't think I've done a single heroic deed with this blade. Fought some battles, sure, but nothing to actively help people." He chuckled, "If this whole time I'd been kept locked away, I was supposed to be helping people by ridding the ocean of those monsters, then my life's been a waste."

She reached a hand out and hovered it over the neck of the blade. Her eyes asked for permission, which he answered with a simple nod. She waited not a moment longer before touching the cold metal. Her fingers ran slowly from the hilt to the teeth a few times before she glanced up to him again.

"You're here now," she said, "that's not a waste." With her curiosity satisfied, she drew her hand back and regarded him fully. "It seems we're both missing something the other can provide. You need a heroic quest, and I need a hero to complete my quest."

The chilled night air suddenly grew warmer. Sora's chest tightened, but in a way that just made him want to sit closer to her. Instead, he cleared his throat and turned away.

"Well, we both need a way off of this island first."

* * *

A day passed, and still Sora couldn't shake the island with the star-shaped fruit from his mind. Though it sat easily within swimming range, even at high tide, he found the rock and soil too slippery to climb.

It was a strange little sub-island, able to sustain a single tree that didn't grow anywhere else. He swam back to the main shore, bested again by the mysterious island.

"Still trying, huh?" Kairi giggled.

"It's killing me." He turned back to face it with his hands on his hips. It mocked him, standing just out of reach.

Kairi sat up and began unfastening her splint. "I have an idea," she said. "Take me with you."

"What? No! Kairi your leg-"

"Will be fine," she finished for him with that stubborn smirk of hers. "See, I'm taking the splint off so it doesn't get wet."

He was never given the chance to deny her again, for as soon as it was off she extended her hands out for assistance. He pulled her to her feet and supported her weight as they made their way back into the water. A hum of delight escaped her throat when the water hit her ankles. He hadn't thought of how much she must have missed the water. It probably pained her to be sitting a few feet from it all day yet unable to go in.

Once waist-deep, Kairi sighed and let her legs float. "Oh man, why didn't I think of this earlier?"

Sora chuckled. "Feel better?"

"Amazing." She closed her eyes and let her legs suspend in the gentle waves while Sora supported the rest of her weight.

If she hadn't been injured, this would've been the perfect moment to splash her while she'd been distracted. _Later_ , Sora promised himself.

He shifted so they both floated on their backs, with her upper body weight supported on his chest. Through the blush spreading across his face, he told himself the position was necessary to get them to the small island. Gently, he began to kick his legs and guide them along. He half-expected Kairi to use her abilities to push them through the water, but she remained still in his grasp.

"Letting me do all the work, huh?" He teased.

Her torso shook as she laughed. "You'll see."

Sora's feet soon touched sand again as they neared the island.

"Stop here," she commanded, "and stand with me."

He did as she said. Using one hand for balance on him, she brought her other up in a familiar elegant motion. As expected, the water followed her lead and swelled around them. He suddenly felt less like he was in the water and more like the water was gripping him.

His instinct proved true when she raised her hand even further, and the water lifted them. Quickly, he was the one clinging to her for support as their roles reversed. In one smooth wave, they glided up and onto the raised sandy platform.

Even up close, it looked like any tropical tree that bore colorful fruit. Sora couldn't quite place what had drawn him so deeply to this tree, whether it was the fact that it only grew there or just his own stubbornness wanting to prove itself. Regardless, it felt anticlimactic as he stood beneath it.

"Well?" Kairi's voice snapped him out of his thoughts. Only then did he notice she'd hopped herself over to the tree and pulled herself up to sit on its tilted trunk. "Are you gonna stand there, or are we gonna try this fruit?"

He joined her side and stood under the star-shaped fruit. "I was just thinking, how do we know it's not poisonous?"

She shrugged, "We don't, but something tells me it isn't." Without further hesitation, she reached back and plucked one from the leaves.

Sora winced, feeling a bubble of guilt for ridding this tree of half of its harvest. As she offered the fruit to him, however, the guilt subsided into a sense of peace. They knew this was a one-time trip, and surely the tree would grow more fruit soon in the perfect environment. He picked the final fruit, sat beside her on the trunk, and extended it to her in return. The fruit she'd picked was much larger than his, and she smiled victoriously.

Instead of taking the fruit from his hand, she leaned her head down and bit from it.

The sight sent Sora's mind spiraling, compounded by the pleased look on her face as she took in the flavor. His eyes glanced down at her own offering staring him in the face. With a move like that, how could he not respond in kind?

The flavor burst onto his tongue immediately, and he understood Kairi's expression. It was sweet, unbelievably so even for an island fruit. A bite of tang danced across his mouth just enough to purse his lips a little. The flavor only deepened with each second, and this was only the first bite.

A pleasant aftertaste lingered, enough to leave him happy for the day, but when he opened his eyes to the woman beside him, he found his heart stuttering.

He knew her appearance, understood her cause, and had seen her in both joy and pain, yet as he took her in again, he saw much deeper into her as a person. It wasn't only understanding her, but _knowing_ her, feeling her emotions right alongside her. Not only appreciating her beauty, but cherishing every inch of her. Not only tagging along with her mission, but desiring nothing more than to see it through to the end and beyond.

And based on her wide eyes, she was experiencing something similar.

"Sora…" She dared to speak, with an affectionate hint in her voice that drew him in further.

Sora blinked and shook his head. This was the woman who had him kidnapped to use for his abilities. She was a pirate.

A pirate who was kind and hospitable. And only raided those who committed evil. And cared for her crew. And was drop-dead gorgeous even after washing ashore a deserted island.

Her hand touched his arm and startled him. "You felt it too, didn't you?" she asked.

He couldn't even parse what had happened in his own mind, so how was he supposed to articulate it to her, whatever "it" was?

"Yeah," he responded as calmly as he could, turning away.

Her hand retreated. "Must just be something in the fruit." her voice had returned to normal.

He nodded, trying to convince himself that was the case. Even when each subsequent bite hadn't caused the same reaction as the first. Even when the sensation hadn't subsided hours after they'd returned to the main island.

Up until the very moment he admitted it to himself:

He didn't want to leave her side…

Because he was in love with her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This whole fic began when I asked myself, "What if two pirates reluctantly working together were stranded on a pre-civilization Destiny Islands, unknowingly shared paopu fruits, and intertwined their destinies forever?". Then of course I answered myself, "Yes, and make it SoKai," and it just kept building from there! There's still much more to happen though, so I hope you enjoy! Thank you for reading and leaving your feedback :)


	6. Chapter 6

Kairi's look of confidence turned to concern over the next several days. Even as her leg began to heal, her gaze never strayed far from the horizon for long.

Sora continued the daily routine of taking her swimming in the ocean, hoping that it would give her some sort of comfort. Plus, he loved getting to be close to her for a brief time, though he wouldn't admit it. Their daily dance had come to feel intimate.

After nearly a week had passed, Kairi had a different idea.

"Let's go for a walk this time, instead of swimming," she said.

"Are you sure you're up for walking?" Sora asked, somewhat disappointed. "Besides, I thought you loved the water."

Slowly, she pulled herself up, balancing on her healthy foot. She linked her arm with Sora's, and he suddenly felt that taking a walk with her wouldn't be so different.

"I do, but until I know my crew is safe, I don't feel worthy to enjoy the water myself."

"Oh," was all Sora could say. He understood, though his worry over the crew paled in comparison to what she must have felt. He braced her weight and turned them to face inland. "Where should we start?"

"Along the shore, I suppose, until we find where the cliff face ends."

Slowly, they walked along the shore. Sora had become familiar enough with the immediate area as he'd been gathering food and water that it felt strange to take a leisurely stroll with a woman on his arm.

"Do you think they're okay?" Kairi asked.

Sora chuckled at her uncharacteristic worry. "Why are you asking me?" She shot him a glare, so he clarified. "I've seen how strong they are, and you know them better than I do, Kairi. Don't let your confidence over them waver. When they come back for you, they'll want to be greeted with cheers and shouts of, 'I knew you could do it.'"

She hummed beside him, her face dropping. "I suppose you're right. Being separated from them is making me soft."

They followed a trickling sound to a small waterfall. In every direction, neither the trees nor the cliff seemed to give way. The top of the island seemed unreachable.

Kairi was already in need of a break, but when she went to lean against the cliff, she fell straight through the bushes.

"Kairi!" Sora rushed in after her.

"I'm okay!" her thumbs up while prone was only half-reassuring.

"Atleast you found a hidden cave," he laughed.

After helping her to her feet, he summoned his Keyblade to give them more light. The cave seemed to stretch further into the cliffside, with no end in sight. His curiosity got the best of him, and he stepped forward.

He moved slowly, and Kairi followed without protest. She had said she wanted to explore. The further in they travelled, the lower the ceiling became. Sora was nearly crouching when he turned a corner, and the cave suddenly opened up before him. Sunlight peeked through the top and illuminated the walls made of large rocks.

And at the end of the cave sat a wooden door.

They both froze for a moment. Normally, it wouldn't have stood out. It didn't even have a handle or hinges. But as far as Sora and Kairi knew, they were the only people on this island.

Kairi approached it and ran her hand along the wood. Suddenly, she gasped and withdrew her hand.

"Do you think…?" she began to ask. "No, nevermind. It couldn't be."

"Say it, Kairi."

She glanced between him and the door. "Could it be her? Leviathan? It's crazy, there's no way it'd be here of all places."

"There's one way to find out."

Kairi turned back and gave him a knowing look. "Sora?"

The Keyblade raised itself in Sora's hand, and he stepped forward. Kairi nodded her permission and moved behind him, leaning against the cave wall. As he took aim, a large, glowing keyhole revealed itself. The island seemed to go silent as a beam of light shot from the key to the door.

The door burst open, followed by a powerful wind that nearly threw Sora off of his feet. He braced his Keyblade in front of himself, but it did little to protect him. Hopefully his body could do a better job of shielding Kairi from the gust. She could barely stand up as is.

"Sora!" she cried, and he breathed in relief that she was still with him. "What's happening?"

"I don't know!" he shouted back.

It soon became apparent that this wasn't any ordinary wind. It held an unnatural chill and a heaviness that pierced straight through to his heart.

The air rushing at them turned into a dark wisp, growing more intense with each moment. Sora's stance was slipping, and he knew he didn't want to be thrown off of his feet in the midst of the strange shadow.

Quickly pivoting his body, he allowed the wind to accelerate his rush to Kairi. Before it could sweep him off of his feet, he encased her body within his arms as tightly as he could. It quickly threw them both back towards the cave entrance, and he twisted his body so his back faced forward.

Out the narrow crawl space, rocks swiped the sides of his arms as they flew past uncontrollably. With each scratch, he did his best to hold her tighter. He didn't notice her constricting herself into his hold, or her hands coming up to grasp at his jacket.

The blast pushed them out of the cave relatively painlessly until Sora's back met a tree trunk with a loud thwack. He grunted but refused to drop Kairi yet. Even when they'd regained their feet and rushed out of the wind's path, he couldn't feel safe enough to let her go.

She squirmed in his arms and mumbled, "Sora, you're hurting me." Only then did he get the hint and loosen his arms.

"Sorry."

"Don't be. Are you okay?" She circled his back and ran her hands down his spine.

"Sore, but fine," he lied. He could function, but he felt that ache wasn't going to leave for a few days. Despite the pain, he savored the feeling of her hands running up and down his back. It took all of his self-control to not close his eyes and melt into her touch.

His eyes trailed down the path of the wind to the beach. What had been a straight gust began to swirl in on itself over the shore. The storm grew larger as the gust from inside showed no signs of waning, and the darkness within it swelled to block all light inside.

The primal instinct to freeze overtook Sora once again. He could do nothing but watch as the swirling darkness took on a creature-like form. Large, soft-bodied, and round, several long appendages unfolded and rolled outward onto the beach. Sora's heart stopped.

Of course the Kraken wouldn't leave them be.

The wind dissipated, revealing a larger, stronger creature than Sora had faced before. Now, it was uninjured and possessed all of its arms. While he was still frozen, a tentacle reached out and wrapped itself around him. Before he could register the sensation, it yanked him towards the water.

"Sora!" Kairi reached out to him, but her injury had slowed her too much for her to reach him in time.

The dizzying sensation along with the fresh pain in his back shook his senses free, and he quickly resummoned his Keyblade. One swift blow was enough to weaken the arm holding him, but he knew more would come.

"Kairi, stay back!" he yelled at her, but she was gone from where she'd just been standing. He struck at the tentacles grasping and whipping at him, but he'd been pulled so close to the giant creature that they were too strong and thick to cut through. Each attempt at escape proved futile as he tripped over every step in the knee-deep water.

He had to find Kairi.

He quickly glanced all around, but she was nowhere immediately in sight. His heart sank. The thought of her being pulled under, or even close to it, filled him with worry.

Several suction-cupped tentacles whipped at him from all directions and restrained him. His body constricted as more of the flesh wrapped around him, even threatening to cover his eyes and face.

"Kai-!" he tried to yell for her to run, to save herself in anyway she could, but his voice cut off under the pressure. Already, he could taste the sea water, and the smell overwhelmed him. It pulled him further out to sea, soaking his clothing and stealing his footing.

Suddenly, the movement became much more chaotic. Not like when the arms had been throwing him around like a ragdoll, but like his own captor was being thrashed about itself.

He was spinning, and from the loosening hold on him, the Kraken wasn't causing it.

The force was enough to let him slip from the creature's grasp once more, only now the radial force threw him outward. He landed hard in the water, but it was still deep enough to prevent him from hitting rock or sand.

He treaded slowly, wary of the growing pain in his spine. A short distance down the shore, Kairi stood on one leg ankle-deep in the water. She somehow maintained her balance as her arms circled wildly around her.

Like a whirlpool.

She moved perfectly in sync with the very vortex that was spinning the Kraken in place. Sora could do nothing but stare in awe of the strength of her magic. He'd witnessed her move an entire boat with speed through the ocean, propel herself through the water, and lift them both in its grasp, but never render an entire sea monster dazed.

The Kraken managed to reach out and strike her, and Sora snapped back to his senses.

"Kairi!"

The blow sent her tumbling into deeper water, so he swam in that very direction as quickly as his normal arms and legs could carry him. Moments later, however, she burst back through the surface in a pillar of water. One of her arms was raised high in the air. Her eyes found him, and with her other arm raised him up to meet her.

Up close, a new look in her eyes became unmistakable. It resembled the same determination Sora had always seen, only much more focussed and filled with passion, like a magnetic pull becoming stronger .

"Thanks. Where'd all that come from?"

"I don't know," she said. "I think opening that door did something to me."

Their conversation was interrupted when a tendril reached out to them. Sora threw his Keyblade and struck it, but another took its place and broke through the pillar of water supporting them. Just as soon as Sora lost his balance and began to fall, however, Kairi caught them both again and moved them farther out to sea. It was clear her arms were straining.

Once a safe distance away, she lowered them both and treaded water. "I can only do so much still," she said.

Sora was useless in this fight without her help. He'd barely been able to hold his own on land, but once any of the Kraken's arms caught a hold of him, he was done. Fighting underwater was ruled out as well.

"Can you get me over its head?" He asked.

The Kraken was already pulling itself toward them, growing faster the deeper it went.

An idea ignited behind Kairi's eyes, hopefully the very same one that shone in Sora's. She nodded, "I'll go under. You go over."

Sora hated the idea of Kairi putting herself in more danger for his sake, but there was no more time for planning. The monster was barrelling toward them already. To his surprise, it used all of its muscly tentacles to launch itself into the air, bearing its large beak straight for them.

Sora received a second surprise when he felt Kairi's hand squeeze his own. He tore his eyes from their threat to meet her.

In her violet pools now were neither the fierce determination from before, nor the spark of confidence she wore with her crew. Her gaze was soft, captivating, as if it wanted to spill all of her secrets and ask him for his. If only he knew the effect of the words that followed would do to him.

"I love you, Sora."

His heart stopped dead in his chest, before being shocked awake again when a burst of water sent him flying into the air.

The Kraken crashed into the water beneath him, sending a powerful wave circling out from it. In the split second of suspension between Sora's ascent and descent, he gripped his Keyblade above his head. The path to the Kraken's head was clear and uninhibited by neither tendrils nor water.

Even when his blade came down upon thick flesh, he couldn't focus.

_She loves me._

_She loves me back._

The Keyblade pierced deep into its head, and the sweet taste of the paopu fruit they'd shared returned to his tongue. A dark inky substance poured from the wound as the Kraken began to shriek and thrash about, and her voice echoed those final words as if she was right next to his ear. A burst of darkness threw him off of its body, and the image of her first descending those wooden stairs replayed in his mind.

The creature didn't sink when he'd struck it, and Sora knew that Kairi had followed through with her plan. While he'd attacked from above, she'd pushed up from below and prevented its escape into the depths. Which meant she was stuck underneath it when it erupted into darkness.

He swam as quickly as his arms could carry him to the pool of ink left behind, praying that she'd emerge like she had before. Only she didn't. All that arose were thick black bubbles that burst with a loud pop. He dove underneath and used his Keyblade to propel himself forward - its only good use underwater, it seemed.

Glimpses of her bright colors underneath the remains spurred him further onward. Just before reaching her body, he moved his blade and extended his free hand out towards her. He crashed into her, scooping her close and using the remaining momentum to bring them closer to the surface.

Holding her and using his Keyblade at the same time proved more difficult than expected, and Sora wasn't willing to drop the former. No water magic, no Keyblade. Sora was stuck bringing them both to the surface with only his strength. Worse yet, the inky darkness was spreading, making a clean path to the surface more difficult to find.

She'd saved him countless times. Now, it was his turn. He pushed through, fighting both the current and his burning lungs, until the surface drew closer and brighter. He gasped the moment his mouth met air. He pulled Kairi on top of him as he made his way back to shore. They'd swam like this half-a-dozen times by then, but feeling her body limp panicked him even more.

He told himself she'd be fine. She'd survived washing ashore this very island before, so she could do it again. Exhausted himself, he pulled her to the safety of sand, her feet dragging lines behind them.

A gurgling sound emanated from the back of her throat, and she quickly began coughing up water. Too tired to sit up herself, Sora supported her back as she found her breath again.

"Sora…" she barely whispered, and he was around her front in a moment.

"Kairi, we did it," he held her head up, even as exhaustion began to take her again. "You did it."

"Not yet," she mumbled slowly, and pointed back to the cave as her eyelids fell. "Door…heart."

Sora didn't have to be told twice. With the wind gone, he carried her back into the cave where it had all started. The door was still flung wide open, and a faint blue light shone from within.

Kairi stirred and took in a deep breath. "I can feel her."

He set her down carefully, and still her gaze wouldn't leave the doorway.

The sudden surge in her powers, her renewed strength the closer she stepped, it all made sense. But could Leviathan's heart really have been right under them this whole time? Had washing ashore this tiny island been a coincidence?

"Kairi, are you ready?"

He half expected her to ignore him completely now that her heart's goal was within reach, but she still nodded. A smile even began to show itself on her mud-covered face.

She took his hand and a step forward. "Come in with me."

He was all-too eager to oblige. As their eyes adjusted to the cavern, their lungs breathed air that hadn't been released for centuries. The interior appeared much larger than it should have from outside, with walls extending into near-darkness on either side. The ceiling was high. The ground descended into a shallow crater, and in the very center, suspended in air, sat a large sphere of water, supplying the soft glow throughout the grotto.

Sora's jaw was already hanging open when he muttered, "It's beautiful."

Kairi was silent beside him, her gaze still fixed straight ahead into the watery orb. She took a step forward into the pit, and Sora gripped her hand tighter.

That time, she did turn to him. "I'll be okay."

Reluctantly, he nodded and released her hand. A part of him wanted to shout that he loved her, but it didn't feel right yet. This was her quest. He'd helped her reach it, and he'd be there in the end too.

The several moments it took for her to descend to the lowest point into the very center of the cavern felt like an eternity. Especially when he had to watch her walk with a limp in her gait. Though large, the sphere of water could be touched from where Kairi stood.

When she reached out and touched it, a ripple shivered out from the point of contact. Then, in a split second, it gripped her hand and pulled her up into it.

"Kairi!" Sora shouted and stepped forward, but a shimmering magical barrier materialized and left him pounding his fists uselessly against it.

Her form was still visible within it, floating closer and closer to the very center. She didn't resist, fight, or even use her magic. If this was Leviathan's heart, then she wouldn't hurt Kairi. Sora had to trust that.

Still, he'd never felt more useless.

A bright light flashed, and the water began to pour out of the globe and into the crater, as if gravity had just taken effect. It fell in a trickle at first but grew more intense. Soon the sound of raging splashing water filled the cavern.

The water still held an unnatural blue glow as it settled. Finally, when nothing else was left, Kairi gently descended into the new lagoon. She landed firmly within the water, with her head bowed as if asleep. The water was shallow, enough to cover up to her knees.

"Kairi," he said, and her head lifted.

The barrier faded, and Sora could feel her beaming smile from a distance. Before he knew it, she was running to him.

She was running. Unimpeded.

With no limp.

His legs reacted before his mind could, and he copied her. He couldn't get to her fast enough with the water slowing him down, but that was quickly solved when she threw her arms out and parted the water between them.

Not a few moments later did she crash into him, nearly sending them both to the ground. His arms were around her in an instant. For the first time, he could hold her without worrying about hurting her, so he spun her with all the fervor he'd wanted to. Her arms clung around his neck, and her sweet giggles chimed right next to his ear.

This felt _so right_.

The parted water returned to its natural state and crashed against his legs, but neither of them cared.

"Thank you," her arms held him tight, even as their spinning slowed.

He laughed, "It was never a choice."

She pulled back with a look of concern, "You mean, because I…took you?"

"No!" He panicked. "Well, that too, but also because I," the words caught in his throat. "I love you too, Kairi."

Concern quickly gave way to the bright smile from before. She pulled herself closer to him once more, but instead of wrapping her arms around his shoulders, a hand snaked up the back of his neck and hair. Next he knew, she pressed her lips to his.

She tasted like sweet island fruit and salty sea water all at once, though they were nearly drowned out by the sparks igniting all over his body. He instinctively pulled her closer, and even though he wanted to take in as much of her as possible, his chivalrous side didn't want to go too far too quickly.

He pulled away, only to become completely flustered by the image before him. Her fiery flowing hair, radiant smile, loving eyes, and gentle touch sent his mind whirling. When no words could be found, she settled to rest her head against his chest. Sora could hear how quickly his heart was beating, but was powerless to slow it down.

Where would his life have been without her? Safe and protected behind the walls of Radiant Garden, but meaningless. He was sure any day out at stormy sea with her would be brighter than a cloudless day on his own. She'd known of him before he knew of her, took him, showed him adventure and danger, and made him a better man.

Made him _want_ to be a better man.

He encased her tightly in his arms and prayed that she couldn't feel his tears streaming into her already wet hair.

"You did it, Kairi," he muffled into her hair. "I'm so proud of you."

Her shoulders began to tremble, and he couldn't tell if she was laughing or crying.

He got his answer when she lifted her head to reveal tear-stained cheeks. "The world will be better than it was, thanks to us."

He brushed the stray hairs out of her face. "Well, world-savior, what now?"

A hum escaped her throat, and she settled back against his chest. "Now, my hero, we rest. And wait."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kairi: I love you
> 
> Sora: *Windows power down noises*


	7. Chapter 7

Sora awoke the next morning with love in his chest and warmth in his arms. He didn't have to remember the events of the fateful previous day, for it replayed itself over and over in his dreams.

Restoring Leviathan's heart was only the beginning. With Kairi miraculously healed and the day to themselves, they wasted no time in truly enjoying the island for the first time. Kairi set a smoke signal for her crew to follow, then the fun began.

They swam in the ocean, and Sora was finally able to unleash his whimsical side in the water, though Kairi's vengeful splashes were much stronger. They scaled the cliff walls to the top, where even more lush trees and foliage grew. As suspected, the star-shaped fruit grew nowhere else on the island.

Maybe it was strange, but Sora could see the small island becoming a home. Their home.

Awakening with Kairi nestled close to him only made the picture clearer. Soon she stirred and cracked a tired eye open at him. The hidden cave made the sunlight a little more bearable in the morning.

"Good morning," he kissed the top of her head.

She hummed and curled further into him. "It is good, isn't it?"

As much as the two were enjoying their first true morning of rest, the blaring sound of a ship horn jolted them both awake.

Sora and Kairi looked to one another with wide eyes.

"A ship?" They both said before bolting out of the cave.

Sure enough, from the mouth of the cave, large white sails came into view just beyond the island reef. Already, small sailboats were making their way to shore, though they were still a distance away.

Sora laughed in relief and moved to run out to shore, but Kairi's gentle grip on his arm kept him back. His face fell when she didn't share in his excitement.

"That's not my ship," she said. "See the flag? They're here for you."

Sora glanced back, and just like she'd said, the ship's flag displayed not the image of the sea goddess, but the crown insignia of Radiant Garden. He turned back to Kairi, who was already backing away into the cave. He reached for her hand and held it tightly.

"They're here for us both," he said.

"I...I can't go with you, Sora." The whites of her eyes began to turn red with tears, and Sora felt his heart lurch.

He stepped closer and took her other hand. "They don't have to know who you are."

She shook her head, her cheeks now damp with tears. "What if they find out I'm the one who took you? When they do…"

"I won't let anyone hurt you, Kairi."

"But it wouldn't just be the two of us anymore, Sora," she said. "It'll be walls and rules and...a life I can't live yet. Plus, I can't abandon my crew. I have to wait for them."

In his heart, Sora knew she was right. So much had changed since that fateful day, and he wasn't going to convince his father to change his mind overnight. But every fiber of his being didn't want to leave the woman he loved after less than a day together.

"Then I'll stay with you. I won't go with them."

She smiled through her tears. "They saw our signal, Sora. They know someone's here, and they won't leave until they find you." She stepped closer and held his face with both hands. "You have to go, Sora," she choked out.

It wasn't until her thumb brushed under his eyes that he realized he'd begun to cry too. He pulled her close to his heart and gently ran his fingers through her red hair.

"But I can't leave you, Kairi," he said. "Not here, alone."

She hugged him tight before stepping back and intertwining their hands together. "This isn't goodbye, Sora. I promise I _will_ find you again."

Sora wasn't sure who moved first, but next he knew he was kissing her again. Her lips trembled against his, and they both steadied themselves against one another. Propriety gave way to desperation at the thought of separation, and pulling away from her felt more painful than their battle the day before.

He shot her a hopeful smile. "You'd better. I'll keep my eyes on the horizon for you."

Shouts echoed from the nearby shoreline. They were out of time. Kairi sneaked in one last kiss and returned a bright smile of her own before disappearing into the hidden cave.

Sora took a deep breath, ruffled his hair, and emerged from behind the tree cover into the open beach.

* * *

The ocean breeze that graced the top of Radiant Garden's walls could never truly compare to the air of the Leviathan. Without its redheaded captain there beside Sora, his senses felt dull, like tasting bland food after knowing the sweetest fruit.

Sora had never lied so much in his life than during the journey home, though the story was easy to come up with.

_I was kidnapped by pirates, but I escaped to a remote island._

The look on his father's face when he returned home was unlike any he'd seen before. The pure relief suddenly made his overprotective nature make a little more sense. Sora felt guilty leading him down false trails and red herrings to satisfy his father's sense of justice, but he couldn't tell them about Kairi. Not yet atleast.

Everyday, with every free moment he had, he waited on the walls surrounding Radiant Garden, watching the horizon for any sign of her flag. The days turned into weeks, then months, but still he waited.

She'd made a promise, and she'd never break a promise.

As time went on, the ocean slowly cleared of monsters, which didn't go unnoticed by fishermen and sailors alike. It was the only reason Ansem allowed him on the wall still. Soon, rumor and speculation spread of what else might've happened out at sea, but Sora kept up his act well enough that no one questioned him.

The summer sun hung in the sky longer than any other season, which meant Sora stayed out longer, until the last light slipped over the west.

Slow, deliberate footsteps approached him from behind. Sora turned to find the gentle yet authoritative form of Ansem the Wise.

"I haven't seen you up here in a while," Sora said.

"I was worried about you," his father replied in that tone that gave away hidden intentions. "You've spent nearly every free moment just standing up here and gazing out at sea. I'm starting to feel like it's cast some hypnotic spell on you."

Sora laughed at the man's humor. "No spell, promise. I just...miss parts of it."

Ansem sighed. "A father has failed when his own son regards a kidnapping more fondly than his own home."

Sora turned around, surprised at the sudden fondness when he'd expected to be reprimanded. Ansem absorbed the beat of silence and continued.

"In my protectiveness, I have been selfish, and for that I apologize." He bowed his head. "But I am no fool, my boy. It is no coincidence that the waters grew peaceful after you returned home."

Sora opened his mouth to speak, but Ansem held his hand up. "I know you went through more than you let on, but I will not demand for you to tell me now. When you are ready, I will do my best to listen with open ears."

The man who stood before him certainly looked like his father, but the words coming from his mouth were the exact opposite of his usual cold strictness. Sora could do nothing but stand frozen, though he managed a smile. And for what felt like forever, the two men merely regarded each other softly.

That was, until a loud boom echoed from the horizon. Sora snapped his gaze to the water. No ships were visible, but underneath the colors of the setting sun and the long reflecting light upon the surface, something was moving.

Something big.

Something serpentine.

"Run!" Ansem commanded, "I'll gather the canons!"

"No!" Sora shouted in a voice he didn't know he had. "Don't engage it, please. Let me."

"Are you crazy?!"

"Yes, but you have to trust me. I'll explain everything, I promise."

Guards were already running up the walls, but his father held his hand out to halt them.

"I'm staying up here with you."

Sora nodded and faced the water again, this time holding himself high and ready. The shadow grew closer, larger, creating waves on the surface that mimicked its slithering.

A large, narrow snout burst out of the water, rising high in the air above the wall. Water rained down onto Sora as the sea serpent's body passed over him, its head finally coming to rest just above him. He found his fortitude wavering, despite knowing that she posed no threat to him.

"You must be...Leviathan," Sora approached and raised his hand up to her snout. Compared to the massive creature, his tiny hand was but a spec on the tip of her nose.

She shorted water into his face and lowered her nose to the ground, revealing the bright pirate captain dressed in pink gripping a horn atop her head.

"Kairi!"

Every inch of Sora brightened and lifted, all reverent fear replaced with the joy and love that hadn't faltered since he last saw her. She answered him with a giggle as she stepped forward and slid all the way down the serpent's snout toward him.

Sora would never tire of her crashing into his arms. Even if she almost sent him off of the walls, he'd still take her warm presence anyday. He spun her just like before, forgetting all other company.

"You came back!" he beamed at her.

"And you waited so patiently," she giggled. "The crew will be here shortly, but I couldn't resist making an entrance."

Her gaze shifted to Ansem the Wise behind them and stiffened. She loosened her grip around Sora's neck, but he wasn't about to let her go so easily again. He pulled her close and faced his father, whose normal stoic and collected composure had fallen completely. He stood, mouth agape, glancing unsurely between Kairi and Leviathan.

Sora stepped closer, guiding Kairi along by the hand.

"If you're ready to listen now, then boy do we have a story to tell."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy SoKai Week! I want to give a heartfelt thanks to everyone who read, liked, and/or commented on this work throughout the week. I also want to express appreciation to everyone who participated in SoKai Week this year! There are still so many works that I have yet to see/read, and I'm really looking forward to taking in all of the SoKai that this wonderful community has provided. This story was so much fun to write, and my imposter syndrome was proven wrong with each kind and thoughtful comment, whether it be on FFNet, AO3, tumblr, or the SoKai discord. This community means so much to me, and I look forward to more SoKai in the future! Thank you!


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